1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine with a kick starter.
2. Description of Background Art
An internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle includes a crankshaft supported with a crankcase, a transmission mounted on one side of the crankshaft, a generator mounted on the other side of the crankshaft, a power transmission mechanism for transmitting a rotation of gears shifted by the transmission, and a kick starter which allows a kick shaft to rotate the crankshaft. The transmission includes a drive pulley mounted on one side of the crankshaft, a driven pulley mounted on one side of a driven shaft supported to the rear of the crankshaft, and a belt set between the drive pulley and the driven pulley. The power transmission mechanism includes a reduction gear for decelerating the rotation of the driven shaft so as to be transmitted to the output shaft. See, for example, JP-A No. H5-213262.
The above-structured engine includes the kick shaft (kick spindle) on the line for connecting the crankshaft and the output shaft between the generator and the power transmission mechanism from a side view. A kick drive gear mounted on the kick shaft is in mesh with the gear of the generator rotor outside the generator. Accompanied with rotation of the kick shaft, the generator rotor rotates, by which the crankshaft connected thereto is rotated.
In the generally employed structure, the generator and the power transmission mechanism are mounted on the other side of the engine, which may restrict the arrangement of the kick drive gear to be disposed outside the generator. As the kick drive gear is mounted outside the generator and in mesh with the gear of the generator rotor, the diameter of the kick drive gear becomes large. As a result, the engine overhangs in the width direction by the amount corresponding to the generator and kick drive gear arranged in the width direction.
A relatively small engine such as the one used on a motorcycle has the size (outline) defined by each diameter of the drive pulley and the driven pulley. In order to store the kick drive gear with a large diameter in the engine case, the position of the kick shaft as the spindle of the kick drive gear is limited. As disclosed in JP-A No. H5-213262, the layout of the crankshaft, kick shaft and output shaft is limited to the linear arrangement at intervals in the longitudinal direction for the purpose of suppressing an enlargement of the engine.